About us

The School of Government and International Relations (SGIR) comprises more than 30 academic staff with a breadth and depth of expertise in political science.
Key subfields of expertise include comparative politics, international relations of Asia, policy advice and analysis, leadership and governance, political theory, public sector reform, public integrity and anticorruption, strategic studies as well as federalism and intergovernmental coordination.
SGIR oversees several degree programs including the Bachelor of Government and International Relations, the Master of Public Administration and the Master of International Relations.
The School has a vibrant PhD program. The School’s primary field of research in Political Science was awarded consecutive ratings of “5” – the highest possible – in the two most recent Excellence in Research for Australia. In addition, staff are actively engaged with a wide range of external stakeholders in government, industry, and media.

The Griffith Business School is one of four faculties of Griffith University and is comprised of six Departments (Accounting, Finance and Economics; International Business and Asian Studies; Employment Relations and Human Resources; Marketing; Government and International Relations; and Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management).

We are currently looking for a PhD candidate to examine China’s international relations and Asian security, broadly defined. Ideally, the candidate should possess advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge in the field of international relations.

The successful candidate will be mainly co-supervised by Professor Huiyun Feng and Professor Kai He from the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith Business School, Griffith University.

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background.

• Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants.
• Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Procedure.  For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.

International applicants should ensure that English Language Proficiency requirements for the program are met before formally applying. Applicants to research programs will need to show they meet:

1. A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS (Academic) with no band score less than 6.0 OR
2. A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based TOEFL including a score of no less than 5.0 on the TWE OR
3. A score of 79 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL with no sub-score less than 19

About the scholarship

The 2024 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $33,480 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.  

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

EoI process

Please do not select the “APPLY” button. All expressions of interest must be submitted to [email protected] containing:

• Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
• Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the about you section, including a  copy of your academic transcript
• A curriculum vitae (CV) using the Griffith CV template.

The closing date for expressions of interest is:  5pm  Friday 16 August 2024

The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship on-line

What Griffith offers

As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people. Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

Further information

For project related enquiries please contact:
Prof  Huiyun Feng
Email: [email protected]

For administration enquiries please contact:
Griffith Graduate Research School
Phone: (07) 3735 3817
Email: [email protected]